The Black and White Struggle for Freedom… Or Is It?

I just want to make a quick point – I loathe the terms “black” and “white.” They are incredibly dismissive of great nuance and difference between the various races and ethnicities. There are many differences in culture, language, food, dress, and perspective between the various “white” races, and this is also true for the various “black” races. (Those who are Irish are not English, or those who are French are not German. Likewise, those who are Kenyan are not Nigerian, or those who are Ethiopian are not South African.) I find these terms particularly dismissive because of their umbrella nature, and how they seek to homogenize beautiful diversity and peoples. I use these terms in this article now, and in others, only for simplicity’s sake. Ordinarily, I avoid these terms.

On to the post.

Does anybody else get tired of that? Why does everyone’s struggle for liberty have to look exactly the same, or take on the exact same form? Why am I a racist if I don’t necessarily participate in every BLM march? Why are black people just pawns in the statist game if they march with BLM, but don’t stand for the national anthem? Why is it that only one fight is considered legitimate, while the other is not?

We have an incredible opportunity here. You see, the white struggle for freedom and the black struggle for freedom is actually a war against the same people who oppress, only we don’t know it, and they do. And so, instead of using our greatest advantage to fight them on multiple fronts through the lenses of race, culture, philosophical freedom, etc…They use it against us, and make us fight each other at the same time. We lose our efficacy as we each fight the real oppressors, because we spend so much time fighting ourselves as well.

Isn’t it strange how we know that the goal for both sides is freedom, yet we fight each other? How does that make sense?

Isn’t it strange that simply because I am white, my struggle for freedom is somehow of less importance of significance? How does that make sense?

Isn’t it strange that black people are told not to be violent, and yet when they do protest peacefully, they’re told they can’t do that either? How does that make sense?

Isn’t it strange that our greatest strength is our differences in perspective, which would allow us to fight our common enemies, causing them to have to respond on both fronts, but instead, we end up responding (negatively) to each other? Our greatest strength in the battle for liberty becomes our greatest hindrance and weakness. How does that make sense?

How are we, on ALL sides, constantly losing this war? How does this make sense to you?

It certainly doesn’t to me.

I, as a white person, welcome peaceful protests when possible, and violent protest if it is defensive, from any black or white person or people in the fight for freedom. I welcome it. But we must be united. Understand, my fight for freedom may not be fought on the same front-lines that yours is. But make no mistake – it is a fight to the death.

And I will understand that your fight for freedom may not be fought using the same tactics and weapons that mine is. But that doesn’t make them any less effective or deadly. And I support you.

I don’t support violence for violence’s sake. I don’t support looting, pillaging, racial discrimination, or the downplaying of someone else’s struggle solely because it doesn’t look like my own.

But I do support the fight for freedom, in whatever form it takes. And I understand that because there are differences in our perspectives, our needs, our wants, that our respective battles may not always look the same, or even have the same goals in mind in the short term. But if your long term goal is freedom, and my long term goal is freedom, then always count me an ally against the oppressor.

I may not view the oppressor as the “white man,” or “the patriarchy,” or what have you. But I do view the oppressor as beings in power who seek to subjugate my mind, body and spirit, and the minds, bodies, and spirits of those I love. And if that doesn’t make us allies, then I don’t know what does.

So let’s stop the infighting that separates allies, and let’s come together as compatriots in the war for our liberty, and finally win this thing.